Adjustable body support for caskets



April 28, 1953 c. B. QUAKA ADJUSTABLE BODY SUPPORT FOR GASKETS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed April 28, 1949 MU-.. W

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P 1953 c. B. QUAKA ADJUSTABLE BODY SUPPORT FOR GASKETS Filed April 28, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 III attormus.

Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE BODY SUPPORT FOR GASKETS Cyril B. Quaka, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application April 28, 1949, Serial No. 90,117

Claims.

This invention relates to an adjustable body support for caskets, and has for an object to provide a device to facilitate the proper positioning of the body or corpse in a casket.

Another object is to provide an adjustable body support to be used in caskets and to provide with this a simple adjustable and easily manipulated device for the convenience of the funeral director to facilitate the proper positioning of a body in the casket in an easy, quick and efficient manner.

A further object is to permit better positioning of the body, resulting in a better pose of the body, thereby enhancing the appearance of the layout.

A still further object is to produce a more dignified arrangement of the body, since it is customary to display bodies in a very high position in order to bring about a betterlooking dis play, and because of this it therefore becomes necessary to lower the body sufficiently to clear the casket lid when closed. With this device this lowering operation may be accomplished quickly and with dignity.

A particular object is to provide an improved adjustable lifting device for the supporting frame of the support which Will be of rigid construction with both sides so tied together that it eliminates.

all possibility of unequal support to either side of the bed, thus eliminating any tipping or dropping of either side and yield or undesirable flexibility in the device, especially when supporting a body load.

Another object is to provide a more proper support for the shoulder portions of the body to give a better pose, and still another object is to provide an adjustable mechanism which will permit easy and quick adjustment of the height of thebody in the casket, with a minimum of effort on the part of the funeral director.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

' I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this invention. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device showing it located in the box structure of a casket;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation and partial 2 section, the section at the front of the support being substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. l and with the intermediate portion substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section substantially on line l-A of Fi 1;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of the adjusting means at an intermediate portion of the support with parts broken away to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 7 is a detail section substantially on line 7-1 of Figs. 2 and 6, and

Fig. 8 is a side view looking toward the bottom of Fig. 6.

The device comprises a frame ll) of any suitable construction. The particular construction shown comprises longitudinal side member H and cross members l2 and I3 at the opposite ends thereof, with any suitable or desired number of intermediate cross members l4, l5 and [6. Also the side members may be connected by any suitable numside bars II and the cross bars l2, I3, [4, I5 and iii are preferably of angle shape in cross-section,

although they'may be formed of other shapes if desired. The angle shape, however, gives great strength and rigidity for the amount of material in the bar and therefore gives good strength and rigidity with less weight. The members may be connected by any suitable means, such, for example, as welding or riveting as found desirable.

Thi frame structure, however, may be varied as found desirable and it may be made of different material. It is preferred to make it of aluminum as this produces a light weight structure of required strength, but any other suitable materials may be used, such, for example, as wood, other metals, or other suitable materials. It is also not necessary to use an open frame construction, as practically any shape of structure for support for the body may be used, as, for example, merely a flat board construction of proper length and width, and in the specification and claims the word frame is used in a general broad sense to include any of these constructions.

A particular and unique construction of the device is the supporting means for the frame or body support. There are preferably provided two of these adjustable supporting means for the frame, one being located adjacent the head end of the frame at about the location of the shoulders of the body and indicated as a whole at 20, and the other is located at about the hips or the lower end of the trunk of the body and indicated as a whole at 2!. These two devices are practically the same in construction and arrangement and operate in substantially the same way, but the lower one ii is changed slightly in respect to the arrangement ofthe release mechanism to make it more accessible for manipulation at the side of the frame, which is wider than the headportion and therefore there is less .clearance bee tween the sides of the frame and the sides of the casket at this portion than at the-head portion This is shown in Fig. 1, in which the forward end portions Ha of the side members H-arebent inwardly toward each other somewhatat the points where the cross;.member is is connected tg the. side members. and the headend bar 12 isshorter than the bar It at theopposite end of the frarne- Bending these. bars inwardly also bends the side members. i l in the vertical plane because .oi their angle shaped cross section, so that the end bar I2 is somewhat lower than the bar l4 .with.th e end portions Ha of the bars H inclining downwardly from the bar it to the bar [2, asshown in Fig. 2. To-give a better support to the shoulders of the body there is also pro- Vided arr-upwardly transversely curved auxiliary supporting bar 22 directly over or adjacent the bar [4, this bar being. secured at its opposite ends either to the side members Ill or to the bar 14 adjacent theseside members as indicated at 23, and" curved upwardly so as to be convex between these points as shown in Fig. 3.

' "rue adjustable supporting structure 26 for the framecomprises a transverse base bar 2 resting onthe bottom 25 of the casket 26 and secured to the bottom of the casket to form a support for the frame. It may be secured to the bottom of they casket by any suitable means, such, for erramp le, as nails or screws 21 when the casket is of wood, or it mayhave clamps 28 at its op'posite ends-tube. clamped against theupright sides 26a of thecasket when it is made of metal, or of course theseclamps could also be used in the case of a wooden casket, if desired. This clamp may be of any suitable construction, but in the. arrangement shown comprises a cup or flat washer 29 on an adjusting screw 353 threaded into the upright bent end of the base bar 26. Thesescrews may be operated to clamp the cups or washers 29 against the sides of the casket by any suitable means, as for example, the looped ends 3210! other suitablemeans.

Pivoted to base bar aresupporting legs 33 preferably being pivoted at 330; to angle lugs 34 mounted on the bar 24. These legs are formed of a substantially U-shaped structure, as showm in Figs. 3 and 4, including the spaced upright side legs 33 and connecting bar 35; This can be bent to this shape from a bar of suitable width and thickness, and as this provides a unitary one-piece structure it makes a very rigid con-h struction and insures that both legs 33 move together v in the adjusting or lifting operation.

It alsoinsures that one side will not sag when the weight of the bodyis placed :on the frame.

These legs are further strengthenedaand stiff-b ened by similar arms 36, also preferably bent up 4 from a bar to a substantially U shape with a connecting cross bar 3600 and pivoted at any intermediate point 3? to the. legs 33 and at their upper ends are pivoted to the bars 38 at 38. Also pivoted to the frame members 18 at 38 is a pair of ratchet bars 39 provided on their lower edges with a series of ratchet teeth M with notches between them adapted to receive a cross rod 4| connecting the free upper ends of the legs 33. These ratchet bars 39 are connected at their free ends by a transverse manually operable release bar ii. The connecting rod 41 projects beyond the legs 33 and slides at each of its opposits ends on a suita-ble guidecaindEsupport 43 mounted: on the insides. of. the members [8. These are angle bars with their horizontal flanges at the lower edge and they are located so .that there. is a clearance space between this flange andthe top flange of the members 18 to permit znioyement of the rod M and also provide clearance forrelease of the ratchet members 39 by lifting them. The weight of the frame is .Fiiilfiifidzby the top or horizontal flanges of bars 88 resting on the upper ends of legs 33. The

o e ati of a s nst h a d f h ra 'which' it may be locatedand thus releasing this rod to permit it to slide; longitudinallyin its guideways to varythe angle of the-legs -33' 'and thus the height of the frame, as-indicate d-'by :the full and dotted lines in Fig-.- 5; Theoperation of raisingtheframe and body-and thus-reducing the strain of lifting required by the-oporator, is assisted by the spring at iwhich tends to shift'thelegs 33 to the upright pesit-ion;- The teethidpf the ratchet and therefore-the-notches between them are inclined backwardly and-downwardly so as to besure the weight of: the body willnot force the rodent :of {these n0tches,-to permit the frame to drop; As the base bar-24 "is secured to the casket itis held against being lifted upon lifting of theframe lll-and'thus'insures that the -le gs -33-will be swung or raised'to the proper position on lifting of the frame: Also because of the incline to these notches-it is not necessary to lift the bars 39 to release rod- H in raising the frame. All that is necessary-is merely to lift upon the frame;

Thesecond "lifting and supporting-deflect! is substantially the same as that of-Qll "except that it is made somewhat wider because it le -located at a wider part of the frame lth-and the-release ratchet is slightly different: Et-cornprises-a base bar 24 the same as that of the first form- 'which is securedto the bottom of the casket and has n le. hiss it nted. on supp suriac t hic a e otedt e su po t n ss 48- T es are the ame co stru ion as ss 3 bein term pend n a bar. .to, substan ial y ,u. sha e-and connected by the crossbart'la They are, pivoted to the lugs fi l at 38 and they are strengthened by the-arms flit-al o formed asla ubs antiallr ushaped structure with a -;conneo,ting-. 312343 53- and At their upper ends they are pivoted to side frame members I I at 52 and the free endsof the legs 46 are connected by the transverse rod 53. the opposite ends of which extend beyond these legs and are guided for longitudinal movement in the frame by the angle guides and supports 54 corresponding to the angle guides 43 for the 'rod 41. This rod is held in the adjusted position to thus retain the legs 46 at different angular positions or different heights for the frame by ratchet bars 55. These are flat bars provided with a series of'teeth and'notohes 55' in their lower edges to receive the rod 53 and hold it in different adjusted positions, and they are mounted on the side bars [I of the frame by means of suitable hinges 56. In the normal position they are in a depending or upright position as shown in Fig. 7, but they may be released by swinging their lower edges inwardly to a substantially horizontal position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. '7, to thus remove them from the rod 53 and release this rod to permit the rod to slide longitudinally in the frame and permit raising or lowering of the frame to different heights. These ratchet bars may be swung to this position by the operator inserting his fingers under the side members H at the outer edges of the frame, and then he may lift the frame or lower it as desired. After adjusting the frame to the proper height, release of these ratchet bars will permit them to drop or swing to the upright position and lock the rod. 53 and the supporting legs 46 in their adjusted positions.

It is to be particularly pointed out that the U- shaped legs and arms 33, 36 and 46, 69 for supporting the frame due to this construction give rigidity and a support which will not collapse by weight on one side of the frame. This gives rigidity and proper support at all times and insures that both sides or both feet must move or act together so that in adjusting the frame by raising or lowering, one side cannot lag behind or tip relative to the other. The device is used with a mattress placed on top of the frame when the device is in a casket. There is also a pillow used for the head on top of the head end of the mattress. As it is customary to display bodies in caskets in a very high position in order to bring about a better looking display, this device permits the director to raise the body quickly and easily to the proper level. However, because of this high position it is necessary to lower the body to clear the cover in closing the casket. This device permits this lowering to be accomplished quickly and with dignity, as all the director has to do is insert his fingers under the sides of the frame and release the ratohets to permit lowering of the body. The curved transverse supporting bar 22 gives a better positioning of the shoulder portion of the body and a better support for the shoulders. This brings about a better posture and appearance. The device permits the director to raise the body to any desired height quickly and with very little effort, the effort being still further reduced by the springs 44 and 51.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. An adjustable body support for caskets comprising a frame to support the body in the casket, an adjustable supporting means for the frame comprising a base bar, means for securing said bar in the casket, laterally spaced supporting legs pivoted at their lower ends to the bar, a transverse rod connecting the upper ends of the legs, guides on the frame for the ends of the rod permitting longitudinal sliding movement of the rod in adjusting the height of the frame, a toothed rack hinged at each side of the frame and engaging the rod to retain it in different longitudinal positions, and said racks being accessible at the side of the frame and swingable laterally inward to release them from the rod to permit adjustment of the height of the frame.

2. An adjustable body support for caskets comprising a frame to support the body in the casket including laterally spaced longitudinally extending side members, cross members connecting the side ,members including cross members at the opposite ends of the side members andintermediate cross members, a cross member extending between the side members at a position to form a support for the shoulder portions of the body and curved upwardly between the side members, and an independently adjustable support for each end of the frame to retain it at different heights in the casket.

3. An adjustable body support for caskets comprising a horizontal frame to support the body in the casket, an independent adjustable supporting means for each end of the frame, each supporting means comprising a transverse base separate from and independent of the other supporting means, independent means for securing the base of each supporting means on the bottom of the casket, each supporting means including a pair of laterally spaced supporting legs pivoted to its base at their lower ends and slidably connected with the frame at their upper ends to vary the inclination of the legs and the height of the adjacent end of the frame above the base, a transverse member rigidly connecting the legs of each supporting means so they must move together at all times, and an independent releasable catch for each supporting means for holding the legs of this means in different inclined positions to independently adjutst the height of each end of the frame.

4. An adjustable body support for caskets comprising a horizontal frame to support the body in the casket, an independent adjustable supporting means for each end of the frame, each supporting means comprising a separate transverse base bar, independent means for securing each base bar in the casket, each supporting means including a pair of transversely spaced supporting legs pivoted at their lower ends to the corresponding base bar, means securing the upper ends of the legs to the frame to slide longitudinally of said frame, a transverse member rigidly connecting the legs of each pair so they must move together, a link for each leg pivoted at one end to the frame and at its other end to an intermediate point of said leg, a transverse member rigidly connecting the links of each pair of legs so they must move together, an independent releasable catch means on the frame for each supporting means for holding the slidable ends of the legs of that supporting mean in different positions to Support the adjacent end of the frame at different heights, and separate manual means accessible at a side of the frame to independently release the catch means for each supporting means,

5. An adjustable body support for caskets comprising a horizontal frame to support the body in the casket, an independent adjustable supporting means for each end of the frame, each supporting means comprising a transverse base bar, means for securing each base bar in the casket, each supporting means including a substantially U- shaped integral structure including spaced side legs and an intermediate connecting bar, means 

